Why Southgate must build England's attack around Rashford Patrick Gleeson Nov 11, 2016 ...
Wasted on the left wing at Manchester United, the
teenage forward has the perfect opportunity under the interim England
boss to become his country's leading marksman
It could be argued that it's too much, too young for Manchester United's Marcus Rashford, as Jose Mourinho operates the centre forward in a wide position. Granted, the 19-year-old was rested at the weekend against Swansea City and Zlatan Ibrahimovic was never going to sign for the club to sit on the bench but the fallout could already be damaging Rashford's career.
Who will win the Goal 50? Follow the countdown
For country, it's a different story. England do not have an Ibrahimovic. The Three Lions flit between Wayne Rooney, whose decline has seen him pushed inwards to midfield, Harry Kane and Daniel Sturridge in an ever-changing front line. Even Theo Walcott has featured in three of the last 10 England fixtures, albeit in a wider role. From the aforementioned forwards, Rashford's goals-to-minutes ratio is far superior to the rest - a goal per 114 minutes.
The damning fact for the Three Lions, though, is that the last 10 goals scored by England in qualification matches have all come from different players. Stability is non-existent. That goes for the men at the top, too, with the managerial merry-go-round involving Roy Hodgson, Sam Allardyce and now Gareth Southgate. Should the latter take charge on a permenant basis then Rashford's involvement is almost certain to increase.
"I'll speak to Sam [Allardyce] in the next couple of days, I'm sure, but I'm sure it's given him food for thought," Southgate said following Rashford's hat-trick against Norway for the Under-21s side, following Allardyce's decision to leave him out of his senior squad for the 1-0 win over Slovenia. "What we saw all week [from Rashford] we saw tonight, so I wasn't surprised in any way. I don’t think anyone can rubbish the experience. The key is, if they come down, they get to play and put on a show like that."
The truth of the matter is that Southgate was always going to opt for the romanticism that surrounds Rooney for Friday's match against Scotland. He's the country's record scorer and inspired Manchester United to a 3-1 victory at Swansea last time out. However, Rooney has already stated that this World Cup campaign will be his last, leaving supporters calling for his exclusion in return for the call-up of younger players.
"He is playing well. He has played in the last couple of matches for Manchester United and he is a player that, when he is in a rhythm of playing, that helps," Southgate said of Rooney. "So he is confident and I think experience in a game like this is important. This is a team that has a lot of energy and potential but you need some experience around it as well."
Ronaldo vs Messi: Who has the better stats in 2016?
Southgate may feel safer with a Rooney in the team; an experienced head who will keep a lid on things and guide his team-mates through the game if needed, but does his inclusion stifle the likes of Rashford and Kane? It seemed the case in the summer when Hodgson's side were knocked out by Iceland during Euro 2016.
Kane's performances in particular were disappointing, with little or no delivery into his path. With or without Kane, depending on the formation Southgate that chooses to operate while in charge of the Three Lions, Rashford offers something which, of his options, only Jamie Vardy can match - sheer pace. But if the former Middlesbrough boss is serious about building a foundation on younger players rather than sneer at the likes of Germany then Rashford is the obvious choice.
Much has been made of the United man's uprising. Many have suggested that he has been pushed too hard too fast by United. Do we expect too much of him following his spectacular start for the Red Devils? Since making his debut, against Midtjylland in the Europa League in February, Rashford has played 32 of a possible 37 games for the Red Devils in all competitions, after all. The youngster sees it differently, though. "The more games I can get, the better it will be for me," he responded following claims to being overused.
Barcelona's £900 million Messi problem
United team-mate Jesse Lingard was chosen ahead of Rashford against the 0-0 draw with Slovenia last time out and England looked utterly toothless. Not only were the Three Lions outplayed by their opponents, who are ranked alongside Burkina Faso by FIFA, but they were without an out-ball with Lingard leading the line. Rashford replaced Sturridge with just minutes to play and immediately offered his side the opportunity to move up the pitch.
It was just a snapshot of what Rashford, an athletic centre forward with an unforgiving knack of turning everything he touches into gold, cam offer his country.
If Mourinho is considered the wrong manager to nurture Rashford into what could be one of the most accomplished striker to ever play for United, Southgate is the perfect one to help him succeed on the international stage. And the upcoming fixtures against Scotland and Spain provide the perfect opportunity to unleash him.